Frequently Asked Questions about Futures Trading

Trading

Are Forex accounts held separately from Futures accounts?

Yes, funds held in futures accounts cannot be co-mingled with FX accounts. As a result, if you open a FX account, you will receive a separate account number and funding instructions will be different than the futures funding instructions.

Are orders held server-side?

One of the keys to our speed and reliability is the fact that all of the data critical to trading success is kept on our server rather than on your PC. This protects you from the unpredictable nature of connectivity from your PC to the server and eliminates storage requirements on your PC. In the event that a connection from your PC to the server is lost, any working orders will continue to work on the server.

* Orders placed in Multi-Bracket (thumb icon in Chart Trade Mode and DOM), Break-out Bracket (blocks icon in DOM), Trading Strategy Manager (in Chart), Scheduled Orders (via Trading menu), or Risk Monitor (via Trading menu) are held locally on a client's machine. The client's platform must remain connected to the trading servers for the full duration of the session(s) and must not observe a power or internet outage. If the client's platform loses connection with the trading servers at any time during the session, orders held locally on the clients machine may be cancelled and will need to be reentered once a connection is reestablished.

Can I enter block trades in OEC Trader?

Yes. OEC Trader allows CTAs and professional trade managers to create block allocations. Trade directly into the block account and your trades are automatically allocated based on your defined rules. Done in real time, there's no back office support or administration needed. Rely on our proper controls, tracking and detailed reporting. Focus on trading, not reconciling out trades. For more information, click here

Additional accounts that will have the same account title as the original account can be opened by submitting an additional account request form. Accounts that will have a different account title will need to complete the account application.

**The undersigned is aware of CFTC Regulation 1.46 regarding the closing out of offsetting long and short positions. A customer may not maintain more than one account for the purpose of holding open a long and short position in the same futures or option contract.

Unless the trades serve to reduce the margin risk, trading will not be permitted. Your account will be locked from trading until the margin call has been satisfied by liquidating contracts and the current session has closed or additional funds have been added above initial margin.

Can I trade options on futures or spreads in OEC Trader?

Yes, all accounts are automatically enabled for buying options and trading futures spreads. If you wish to write/sell options or trade option spreads, request a Risk Change form by sending an email to GFSupport@gaincapital.com). Fill out the form and return to out Risk department for review. Risk requests are processed within 1-2 days.

Can I use any other data provider in OEC Trader?

Yes. Currently, only eSignal data may be integrated into OEC Trader with the use of our eSignal price plugin. This plugin will be accessible in the File menu of OEC Trader once installed.

Do I need to supply my own quote service to trade in OEC Trader?

No. Real-time streaming quotes are embedded within OEC Trader.

Do you have any inactivity fees?

Accounts that have not traded or held a position in the previous three months will be charged a $15.00 monthly inactivity fee.

There are two ways to place orders. 1. You may download our software or a supported 3rd party product to place your orders electronically. 2. You may call our Trade Desk at (800) 920-5808 option 1. A desk fee may apply.

For futures accounts, log in to My Account at: https://myaccount.gainfutures.com/. Go to Futures > Request Funds on the right side menu. The page will default to the Wire request. If you wish to receive a check, please click on the Check tab.

For forex accounts, log in to My Account at: https://myaccount.gainfutures.com and go to the link Manage Account under the Forex header. Then, go to the Tools tab and click on Submit Withdrawal Request.

Once we receive account papers, either by fax, mail or by using the secure new account applications online, an account can usually be opened within 1-2 business days.

How much does OEC Trader software cost?

There are no platform fees. However, you may have to pay data fees depending on which markets you require real-time data.

How much should I leave in the account in order to keep it from being closed or locked/liquidated?

The minimum amount to keep an account open is $100. The minimum amount needed to trade is $500 or greater, or maintain an [equity (Net Liquidating Value) / initial margin] ratio of 5% or higher, else the account is locked and positions are liquidated. A liquidation fee may apply.

How to Read Your Futures Daily Account Statement (part 1)?

FORMAT: Our statement format has five main sections.

1. Confirmation:

This is a listing of all future and option transactions made as of the date indicated.

2. Purchase and Sale:

A listing of offsetting transactions and the resulting profit/loss information.

3. Journal Entries:

A listing of all cash transactions affecting the account’s ledger balance.

4. Open Positions:

A listing of all open positions
with trade prices, current settlement prices and unrealized profits or
losses. Securities on deposit and market value are also shown.

5. Account Summary

All relevant financial totals are summarized by individual currency and converted to U. S. Dollar value.

These five sections overlay a framework of descriptive columns:

[A]

[B]

[C]

[D]

[E]

[F]

[G]

[H]

[I]

DATE

NUMBER

MARKET

BUY/SELL

CONTRACT DESCRIPTION

EX

TRADE PRICE

CCY

DEBIT/CREDIT

[A]

DATE

Trade date of the transaction

[B]

NUMBER

Trade Number. A unique number used to identify an order

[C]

MARKET

Denotes market where futures contract is traded.

[D]

BUY/SELL

Denotes quantity bought or sold

[E]

CONTRACT DESCRIPTION

A description of the futures or options contract.

[F]

EX

The expiration date, if applicable.

[G]

TRADE PRICE

Price per unit of the futures or option contract.

[H]

CCY

Currency code. The underlying currency code.

[I]

DEBIT/CREDIT

The total debit or credit to the account balance in the Confirmation
and Purchase & Sales section and the unrealized P& L in open positions section. Note: Debits have DR after the amounts.

SECTION 1 – CONFIRMATIONS

The number of contracts bought or sold, as of
the date indicated, generally the statement date, with all pertinent
information listed underneath the columns (A-I) described above.
Beginning “A” on the left (DATE) and moving horizontally, ending
with “I” (DEBIT/CREDIT) on the right. “*” denotes totals.

SECTION 2 – PURCHASE & SALE

This section reflects positions being closed by
offset or settlement. Trades executed that have resulted in a realized
profit or loss are matched. Gross and net profit/loss are indicated. A
detailed listing of those contracts
and any associated option costs/proceeds with the resulting profit/loss
is provided. “NET PROFIT OR LOSS FROM TRADES” includes
commission and all fees charged.* Options that have expired, been
exercised, or assigned are also listed. *This does not include
commissions and fees charged on the entry of this position.

SECTION 3 – JOURNAL ENTRIES

All financial transactions affecting the balance of the account, including all receipts and/or disbursements related
to cash margin deposits, securities, cash adjustments, etc.

THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL ENTRIES HAVE BEEN POSTED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

TRADE SETTL

AT

JOURNAL DESCRIPTION

CC

DEBIT(DR)/CREDIT

7/24/06

F1

BRANCH BANK DEPOSIT

US

10,000.00

How to Read Your Futures Daily Account Statement (part 2)?

SECTION 4 – OPEN POSITIONS

All positions that remain open and not offset
are shown. These are active positions reflected in the same format
as in the CONFIRMATION and PURCHASE AND SALE sections of the account
statement. The debit/credit column provides unrealized profit or loss
as of the statement date. Options positions are presented at gross
market value as is the corresponding delta and futures equivalent
values.

SECTION 5 – ACCOUNT SUMMARY

Finally, a summary section condenses and
translates the four proceeding main sections into all possible dollar
and foreign breakdowns required to balance and value your account.
Starting with the beginning balance, then
net profit/loss from trades, plus commissions, fees, cash amounts and
option premium resulting in the ending balance for that day. Open trade
equity is added which then follows the total equity and account value
at market. Initial and maintenance margin requirement are given as well
as excess equity or margin deficit. If there is foreign trading in the
account, we will also show the currency conversion rate to U. S. dollars
and the converted account value at market to each currency and a
converted total to U. S. dollars for the account.

What are the fees for calling the Trade Desk to place an order for a futures account?

Telephone orders are $25/per order - in addition to all stated commissions and fees.

What are the fees for requesting a check?

For futures accounts, the first check requested in a given month is free. Each additional check requested in the same month will be $5. An overnight check option is available, the charge is $35 for domestic delivery. For forex accounts, there is no fee charged for withdrawal by checks.

What are the incoming/outgoing wire fees?

There are no wire fees on incoming wires to fund your account.

The fee for outgoing wire transfers for a futures account is $25.00 USD for domestic wires and $30.00 USD for international wires.

The fee for outgoing wire transfers for a forex account is $25.00 USD for domestic wires and $40.00 USD for international wires.

What are the server maintenance periods?

Mon-Fri maintenance is between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm ET. In addition, we do schedule major updates after the close of business Friday through Saturday. The system will be available at a minimum of 1 hour prior to the pre-market open on Sundays.

What are your margin requirements?

For overnight positions, margin requirements are set by the futures exchanges. For day margins, this is set by the FCM, GAIN Capital Group, LLC. Review current margin requirements, click here.

What happens if my connection goes down?

The trading platform will automatically reconnect when your internet connections becomes available. If you need immediate assistance, you may call our Trade Desk at (800) 920-5808 option 1. Email or chat instructions are not accepted.

What is the liquidation procedure for futures accounts?

The liquidation policy pertains to accounts holding outright futures positions only. The risk on accounts with option positions or inter/intra commodity spreads will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis.

If you want to place a trade or hold open positions, the Equity-to-Margin ratio in your account must be greater than 5%. If the Equity/Margin ratio drops below 5%, or the Net Liquidating Value (NLV) drops below $500 (whichever comes first), your account may be locked, open positions may be liquidated, and in the event that our risk management staff liquidates your position due to inaction on your part, a liquidation fee will apply.

Clients and Brokers are still responsible for monitoring their positions and are financially responsible for any losses generated by open positions. Notwithstanding this risk procedure, GAIN Capital Group, LLC retains its right to liquidate positions in any account, at its sole discretion, with no forewarning, all of which are consistent with the terms of provision 11 of the Commodity Customer Agreement.

Equity/Margin Ratio is calculated by dividing current NLV by Initial Margin (IM).

Liquidations due to insufficient margins: $50.00 USD/contract. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-920-5808.

What is the minimum amount required to open an account?

The minimum amount needed to open an account depends on the account type.

Futures: $2,000

Forex: $500

What kind of account can I open?

The account types are individual, joint, partnership, limited partnership, or corporate. You can find the information for each account under the section of our website named Open an Account.

What statements will I receive?

You will receive daily statements and a month-end summary. After year end, individual and joint accounts for US residents will receive 1099 tax statements.

What type of trading platforms are available?

You can trade with OEC Trader (PC/desktop), iBroker (web, Apple iPhone, iPad, and Android), and various third party software.

Where are my funds held?

Your futures funds are held in an Gain Capital Group, LLC Customer Segregated Account at JP Morgan Chase or another segregated location at an FCM which is registered with the CFTC.

Website

Can I change my password?

To change the password, click on SIGN IN at top and login. Go to My Profile on the right hand side of the My Account portal. The last five passwords cannot be reused. This password will be used for the website and platform.

How can I check my new account application status?

To check your new application status, click on SIGN IN at top. Review the section labeled Pending Account Applications and click on the link [View Futures Legal Documents]. Our New Account representatives will be in touch with you along the process.

How can I contact a representative using LIVE chat?

To start a chat session with a Client Service or Sales representative, click here.

How do I enable cookies?

To enable cookies for IE, click here. To enable cookies for Firefox, click here. To enable cookies for Chrome, click here. Make sure first and third party cookies are enabled.

If you have set a security question, you will be able to perform a password recovery. Click on the Forgot Password link and enter your account number or username. Then, a UUID key will be emailed to the address we have on record. Click on the link (or copy and paste) and then answer the security question. If you did not set a security question, you will be unable to go through password recovery. Please give us a call and we will verify some information before we reset your password.

OECTrader

Are the username and password for logging into OEC Trader case sensitive?

Yes, please note that the Username and Password for logging into OEC Trader are case sensitive.

Can I add horizontal lines on the chart to display the high and low for the day?

In the chart, right click and select Configure. Scroll down to High/Low, then turn the High Line and Low Line to ‘On’.

Can I save all my settings from OEC Trader Demo and transfer them to OEC Trader (Live)?

In OEC Trader, go to Tools > Keyboard Shortcuts. Then, scroll down the list to Charts and expand the list. You will then see the option to setup a shortcut key for Trade Mode.

Getting the error message "cannot connect to OEC server failed"?

The error message "cannot connect to OEC server failed" could occur due to many reasons:

1. Your firewall or other security software is blocking our platform from connecting to our servers. Please add a rule in your firewall software to give permissions. It may be necessary to manually open TCP ports 9200 and 9201. Below are links to popular firewall programs describing the process to allow a program:

If your firewall program is not Windows Firewall, please contact the software manufacturer for assistance.

2. The internet connection is currently down. Please check your modem lights and ensure you are connected. Try powering down the modem and any routers and plug them back in after 30 seconds. If using a dial up connection, ensure you are connected while installing our software.

3. You are behind a corporate firewall and will be unable to use our trading software as we require TCP ports 9200 and 9201 to be open. Contact your IT department to see if arrangements can be made to open these ports.

Next, check if our production website (https://prod.gainfutures.com) accessible. If the site is not accessible, this may be due to your provider having routing issues. A work around is using OpenDNS as a DNS provider. This does not change who your internet provider is, just changes how domain names are resolved into IP addresses. There is no cost for this service.

2. The internet connection is currently down. Please check your modem lights and ensure you are connected. Try powering down the modem and any routers and plug them back in after 30 seconds. If using a dial up connection, ensure you are connected while installing our software.

3. You are behind a corporate firewall and will be unable to use our trading software as we require TCP ports 9200 and 9201 to be open. Contact your IT department to see if arrangements can be made to open these ports.

How do I add an additional contract onto the chart?

On the chart toolbar, click on the icon "add contract". The icon has a screwdriver and wrench with a plus sign, next to the bell icon. Type the contract's symbol and select new area. The additional contract will be added directly below the original chart.

How do I change my chart to Regular Trading Hours (or a custom time period)?

There are two ways to change bar times:

1. Double left click on the wicks of a candle chart (or bars for OHLC chart) to pull up chart properties. In this pop up window, locate Misc > Session. Select 'Custom' timeframe and enter your desired start and stop time.

2. Right click in the chart and go to Configure. Next, left click the drop down list that appears to the left of the double blue arrows. Select the futures contract symbol in the list. Below the drop down list, scroll to the bottom of the Settings window and locate Misc > Session. Select 'Custom' timeframe and enter your desired start and stop time.

How do I change the time zone in the charts?

Right click in the chart and go to Configure. Scroll down to Time Axis >Time Zone. Then, select the correct UTC zone.

How do I color OHLC bars green and red?

To color OHLC bars green and red, right click in chart and go to Indicators > Custom Indicators > Coloring. Change the Condition field to "open > close" without quotes, color should be Red and input still be Close:Symbol. Then, create another Coloring using Condition "open <= close" without quotes and use color Green.

How do I create space between the current bar and the right edge of the chart?

Right click in the chart and select View > Right Margin. Note: You may need to scroll the chart to the right using the bottom scroll bar.

Double click directly on a bar within the chart area. A window will pop up with the preferences for the chart. Within the menu preferences look for Appearance> Styles>Collection, select collection and drop down the menu. Find width and select the line below and change it to a larger size.

How do I install .NET Framework 3.5 (for Windows 8 and 10 customers)?

Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Windows Features, and press Enter. This brings up the Turn Windows features on or off dialog box. Alternately, open Control Panel, click on the Programs items, and then click on “Turn Windows features on or off” under Programs and Features.

Right click in the chart and go to Data, then select Print. A window will display with your active printer.

Right click in the chart and go to Data, then select Save. You can save the chart as an image, and then print the image from your preferred editing/image program.

How do I remove the data box on OEC Trader Charts?

This can be done in two ways:

1. Right click on the data box and left click "Show Data Box".

2. On the chart select Preferences>Chart Profile. Within the Chart Profile Preferences scroll down to Data Box then find Visibility. Turn Visibility ‘Off’.

Note: The data box can be moved by left clicking and dragging to a different area of the chart.

How do I stop the chart from automatically scrolling forward?

Right click within the chart area. Go to View and Select 'Lock Latest Bar'.

How do I view all indicators that I have placed on one chart?

In the chart, right click and go to Indicators > All Active Indicators. The Indicators windows will display as a pop up. Within this indicators window you can remove and change the properties of each indicator.

How do you calculate the daily pivots using a specific time frame?

Once you have the pivots added to the OEC Trader Charts. Double click on the any one of the pivot lines, which will bring up preferences window. Find Misc>Session Time. Select Session time then Custom. You can set the pivots to any time frame that you prefer.

How to completely uninstall OEC Trader?

Instructions to uninstall and delete OEC Trader and all the files that are created during installation First, remove program from the Windows Control Panel in Add/Remove Programs. Then, you may remove files from the following hidden folders.

If the Chart option is grayed out, then the Chart Package needs to be reinstalled. It is possible that Charting was not installed correctly when you installed the trading platform. This may have been caused by aggressive anti-virus software or the Windows User Account Control in Vista or Windows 7. To re-install charting, go to the Tools menu and select Plugins. Place a check for Chart Package in the update column and then click Update Now.

Alternate instructions: 1. Close the platform (Trader) 2. Download the Chart/Custom Indicator Package plugin file (Demo or Live) from https://futuresonline.com/trading/oec-trader-software-downloads 3. Save the file to the Desktop 4. Right click on the file and select Run As Administrator 5. Install the Chart plugin 6. Reopen the platform

If
you experience crashing upon loading of OEC Trader, your personal settings file could be corrupt, a recent change in Windows may have caused problem, or the Microsoft .Net
Framework could be corrupt.

Your platform's personal setting files could be corrupt, you can manually delete the file Trader.XML. You will lose all personal settings and revert to factory settings.

Windows Vista and 7 - Click on Windows Start button and search %APPDATA% Windows 8 - Click on Windows logo button on your keyboard and search %APPDATA% Windows 10 - In the search box, next to the Windows Start button, type in %APPDATA% Click on the search result, it usually will display a folder icon and may be named Roaming. Navigate to the OEC folder > Prod or Sim folder.

You may not be an Administrative user in Windows, therefore the OEC Trader cannot write to hidden folder to save settings. As a result, OEC Trader will revert to default settings and layouts upon entry each session. Please ask your network administrator to grant Administrative rights for your user account in Windows.

If you use a home computer and are an Administrative user, it is possible your Windows user account could be corrupt. Try creating a new account in Windows and load and exit platform to see if error persists.

Why is the chart scaling not within normal bands and price bars are "scrunched"?

You may have a drawing object that was added to your chart when viewing a different market. To remove the object, click on the "Object List" icon on the left chart toolbar. Then, remove the object. If that did not help, right click in the chart and go to View > Auto Min / Max Price. This will reset your chart back to Automatic scaling.

Will fills in demo platform match fills in the live markets?

Our live orders are generally virtually instant, however this can vary from user to user. Quality of internet, client's computer specifications, location of exchanges, liquidity, and other factors may affect order execution as well. In regards to demo fills, fills should not be directly compared to how you may be filled in the live markets. The purpose of the demo software is to become acquainted with our features before you become live. In the live markets, orders are often filled First In First Out (FIFO), depending on exchange rules. Even though the demo filling engine does take order placement into consideration, the market depth may be fictitious, ie. the number of orders sitting at a given price level may not match the live order book. Also, where you sit in that filling queue may not be representative of where you sit at the actual exchange. With that said, though our demo fills may seem realistic, the time you may receive a fill may not be exactly when you would be filled in the live market, if even at all. Comparing our demo to another competitors demo may vary, as order placement may not exist. Demo orders with competitors could fill immediately when a price is touched, which is often unrealistic. We simply match demo orders to our tick feed, using proprietary order placement. There is no way to accurately match demo orders to live orders, please keep this in mind when using the simulator.

Forex

Do you have any inactivity fees?

FOREX.com charges a data fee of $15 per month if there is no trading activity or no open positions for a period of 90 days or more. Contact us if you wish to disable your account temporarily and avoid this fee.

To access our Forex Statements, log in to My Account at: https://myaccount.gainfutures.com/ and go to the link Manage Account under the Forex header. Then, go to the Reports tab and click on Customer Statements

Also, statements can be accessed in OEC Trader by going to the menu Reports > Forex > Forex Reports. Inside the Account Management site, go to the Reports tab and click on Customer Statements. To change to the other account, select the other account number in the top left.

For forex accounts, log in to My Account at: https://myaccount.gainfutures.com and go to the link Manage Account under the Forex header. Then, go to the Tools tab and click on Submit Withdrawal Request.

A pip is the smallest price increment in Forex trading. For example prices are quoted to the fourth decimal point on the EUR/USD, the bid might be 1.2341 and the ask 1.2343. In this example, the spread is 2 pips wide.

What is Forex?

The Forex market is a non-stop cash market where currencies of nations are traded, typically via brokers. Foreign currencies are constantly and simultaneously bought and sold across local and global markets and traders' investments increase or decrease in value based upon currency movements.

THIS MATERIAL IS CONVEYED AS A SOLICITATION FOR ENTERING INTO A DERIVATIVES TRANSACTION.

THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN PREPARED BY A FUTURESONLINE BROKER WHO PROVIDES RESEARCH MARKET COMMENTARY AND TRADE RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF HIS OR HER SOLICITATION FOR ACCOUNTS AND SOLICITATION FOR TRADES. FUTURESONLINE, ITS PRINCIPALS, BROKERS AND EMPLOYEES MAY TRADE IN DERIVATIVES FOR THEIR OWN ACCOUNTS OR FOR THE ACCOUNTS OF OTHERS. DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS (SUCH AS RISK TOLERANCE, MARGIN REQUIREMENTS, TRADING OBJECTIVES, SHORT TERM VS. LONG TERM STRATEGIES, TECHNICAL VS. FUNDAMENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS, AND OTHER FACTORS) SUCH TRADING MAY RESULT IN THE INITIATION OR LIQUIDATION OF POSITIONS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM OR CONTRARY TO THE OPINIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED THEREIN.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE. THE RISK OF LOSS IN TRADING FUTURES CONTRACTS OR COMMODITY OPTIONS CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL, AND THEREFORE INVESTORS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE RISKS INVOLVED IN TAKING LEVERAGED POSITIONS AND MUST ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH INVESTMENTS AND FOR THEIR RESULTS.

YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER SUCH TRADING IS SUITABLE FOR YOU IN LIGHT OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. YOU SHOULD READ THE "RISK DISCLOSURE" WEBPAGE ACCESSED AT WWW.FUTURESONLINE.COM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOMEPAGE. FUTURESONLINE IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH NOR DOES IT ENDORSE ANY TRADING SYSTEM, NEWSLETTER OR OTHER SIMILAR SERVICE. FUTURESONLINE DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR VERIFY ANY PERFORMANCE CLAIMS MADE BY SUCH SYSTEMS OR SERVICES.